In-depth twenty-four week group study of the whole Bible, emphasizing the concept of covenant as a unifying pattern through all the books in the Old and New Testament. Three participant guides each contain eight episodes, showing what to read and offering space to interact personally with the book introductions, daily Bible readings, prayers, and weekly meditations. In the videos, textual material is discussed by pastors Christine Chakoian and Shane Stanford and a number of biblical scholars.

This Covenant experience will guide participants in a comprehensive, in-depth study of the Bible over twenty-four weeks. Unlike the learning participants may have experienced in other groups, this in-depth study of the whole Bible emphasizes the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying pattern through all the books in the Old and New Testaments. It underscores the unique relationship that God chooses to have with us as God’s people. This relationship is grounded in the faithfulness of God’s love and on our ongoing commitment to stay in love with God while we share signs of that love with others. Each episode connects to an aspect of this covenant relationship, which is summarized in the heading of each participant guide. GOD ESTABLISHES THE COVENANT to be in relationship with us. So the first eight weeks, Creating the Covenant, examines how the covenant community is created and established—highlighting several examples throughout scripture. It discusses the story of our origins in Genesis, the Exodus narrative, the teachings of Moses, the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, as well as other books from each Testament that focus on the foundation of Christian faith. In doing so, it lays out the framework for a life lived in concert with God and others. Each participant in the group needs the Participant Guides and a Bible. The CEB Study Bible is preferred. The Creating Participant Guide is eight weeks long, and has a lay flat binding making it easy to take notes in the generous space provided on each page. The Creating Participant Guide contains the following episodes: Episode 1: Creating the Covenant Relationships with people in our lives are key to faithful living. Covenant is about the family God creates and the power of love that overcomes evil. We are broken and miss the mark. Substitutes for faithful love destroy our relationships. Yet God’s response to broken relationships is to restore us to wholeness. Through the shared practice of reading and interpreting the Bible scripture in holy conversation, we sharpen our understandings until they become more accurate and relevant. And we learn about God’s gracious love and how to share it with others. Episode 2: Torah—Genesis Genesis answers the question: Who are we in the scheme of things? Covenant relationships are a metaphor for life together before God. This life is characterized by both gift and responsibility. Broken relationships in these stories are countered by forgiveness and generosity. Episode 3: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers Passover is a bittersweet celebration of Israel’s liberation. The covenant at Sinai creates a people with instructions for living in harmony. These instructions are ever in need of reinterpretation in new situations, much like amendments to a constitution. God is holy and calls the people to be distinct and set apart in their faithfulness. Episode 4: Gospels—Matthew and Mark The Gospels are similar to Greco-Roman biographies but with a saving twist. They paint a portrait of Jesus’ significance for first-century readers living under Roman rule before and after the destruction of the temple in 70 CE. By arranging the events of his life, death, and resurrection in distinct order, these writers depict Jesus as both the suffering “human one” (Mark) and a new teacher like Moses (Matthew). Jesus comes to bring and embody a new covenant reign (kingdom) of God’s saving love in the world. Episode 5: Romans and Galatians The letters of Paul substituted for his presence and represent his attempt to deal with controversies and provide guidance to churches from a pastor’s perspective. For Paul, God’s grace expressed in Jesus’ faithfulness on the cross is a saving gift with no substitutes. The Spirit’s presence, too, is a gift that marks the community of faith and produces fruit for faithful life together, making us more gracious to ourselves and others. Episode 6: Hebrews The book of Hebrews is a masterful sermon written by an unknown author to a struggling community.The writer encourages them to live lives of gratitude for God’s saving work in Jesus. Hebrews embraces the imagery of sacrifice in the Old Testament to describe Jesus’ pioneering cosmic work of redemption. Replacing fear with trust, Jesus—our faithful forerunner—made it possible for us to approach the holy with confident expectation of God’s favor. Episode 7: 1 and 2 Corinthians Paul’s letters to the church at Corinth address very concrete issues in a culture that honors the freedom of superiors to do as they please. Paul counters this with the mind of Christ, patterned by the logic of self-giving love. This “logic of the cross” balances freedom with Christ-shaped responsibility to live in ways that benefit both self and community. Episode 8: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel These books retell the story of Israel and its responsibilities as a rescued, covenant people. As they transition to a new life in the promised land, the first commandment (no other gods) is restated positively: love God with all your heart and strength. Life in the land after Moses and Joshua is characterized by a cycle of faithlessness, crisis, cries for help, and temporary rescue. The last tribal chieftain/first prophet Samuel will anoint kings for an unruly people when the real king missing in Israel is God. More Questions? Visit http://covenantbiblestudy.com/ for more information.

This Covenant experience will guide participants in a comprehensive, in-depth study of the Bible over twenty-four weeks. Unlike the learning participants may have experienced in other groups, this in-depth study of the whole Bible emphasizes the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying pattern through all the books in the Old and New Testaments. It underscores the unique relationship that God chooses to have with us as God’s people. This relationship is grounded in the faithfulness of God’s love and on our ongoing commitment to stay in love with God while we share signs of that love with others. The Leader Guide contains comprehensive and detailed direction for each meeting experience. While each group’s chemistry will vary, the Leader Guide contains the following elements: •The Group Meeting Experience—Each Covenant Bible Study episode follows the same essential structure by balancing conversational teaching from biblical experts with engaging discussion among the participants. Covenant is designed so that the meaning of the Bible isn’t found in just listening to a biblical scholar or listening to one’s own inner voice. Only through conversation in community, in the Covenant Group Meeting Experience, can we discover the Bible’s transformative power. During some weeks the group might be so full of energy and questions that conversation leaves less time for the video. That’s okay. The spiritual energy that wakes up and transforms a life is the most important result from this kind of Bible study. •Gathering Together (10 min)—The opening questions of this segment in each episode are designed to prompt conversation on a general topic that connects to the main theme of the episode. Begin by reading the scriptures in the Covenant Prayer section for Episode 1. Have one person say the phrase, “For those who . . .” and then the whole group responds by reading the scripture passage aloud (Neh 8:8 and then 8:10). •Reflecting Together (10 min) —This segment guides participants to share what they learned from the week’s scripture readings with questions that tie their discoveries into a central theme. The study also encourages participants to memorize and share verses from the readings that they found particularly meaningful. •Video Segment (25 min) —Play the orientation video for Episode 1. The cohosts for this opening conversation are Reverend Shane Stanford, senior pastor at Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, and Reverend Christine Chakoian, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lake Forest, Illinois. They will meet with a different biblical scholar in each video episode. •Discovering Together (15 min) —This segment in the following episodes builds on the insights of the biblical scholar and analyzes a single passage from the week’s readings. The questions in the Group Meeting Experience section of the participant guide encourage a comprehensive look at the form, style, and central meaning of the scripture text. This segment will teach participants how to “go deeper” in the way they explore the Bible’s meaning. If you handed out the participant guides before the first meeting, or if individuals downloaded the participant guides to their mobile devices, assign a single Bible passage (Deuteronomy 10) to be read before the meeting, as well. It will be discussed briefly at the first meeting during this segment. •Centering Together (10 min) —This segment provides a meditation, which is a devotional way to read the Bible. This is a critical part of the experience because it ensures the study experience is not only informative for the mind, but also formative for the heart. It will teach participants how to use imagination, prayer, and listening while reading scripture. These spiritual practices can strengthen their relationship with God. You may choose to have willing participants report on this experience (always located on Day 6 in the participant guide) if they are trying it at home. As an alternative, the leader guide includes this as a weekly group practice every week because some individuals are unfamiliar with this kind of meditation. Decide the best fit for your group; try it both ways, as individuals and as a group. •Serving Together (5 min) —Read together the “Signs of Faithful Love” at the end of this episode. Then remind them that they are committing to a twenty-four-week Covenant experience together where they will: • read the Bible daily and write responses in their participant guides; • pray for other members of the group each day; • meet with the group every week; • listen for God speaking through the Bible and each other; and • invite the Holy Spirit to change their lives through exposure to the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ encountered in the scriptures. Participants are encouraged to conceive and share tangible ways that each week’s readings will alter their priorities and perspectives and shape their behavior. More Questions? Visit http://covenantbiblestudy.com/ for more information. Numerous helps for leaders are available, including group calendars, daily emailed Bible readings, video training tips, bonus videos, and supplemental Bible resources. Every Covenant leader will want a copy of the CEB Study Bible.

In-depth twenty-four week group study of the whole Bible, emphasizing the concept of covenant as a unifying pattern through all the books in the Old and New Testament. Three participant guides each contain eight episodes, showing what to read and offering space to interact personally with the book introductions, daily Bible readings, prayers, and weekly meditations. In the videos, textual material is discussed by pastors Christine Chakoian and Shane Stanford and a number of biblical scholars.

Covenant Bible Study guides small groups through a comprehensive, in-depth study of the whole Bible over twenty-four sessions broken into three eight-session modules. Unlike the learning participants may have experienced in other groups, this study emphasizes the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying theme through both the Old and New Testaments. It underscores the unique relationship that God chooses to have with us as God's people. This relationship is grounded in the faithfulness of God's love and on our ongoing commitment to stay in relationship with God while we share signs of God's love with others. Each Covenant Bible Study participant needs a Participant Guide and a Bible. The CEB Study Bible is preferred, but not required. The Participant Guide walks study participants through the daily scripture readings and offers space to interact personally with the readings, the group experience, and the weekly meditations. This single volume Participant Guide contains the materials required for all three modules: Creating, Living and Trusting. Creating: God establishes the covenant to be in relationship with us. This first module, Creating the Covenant, examines how the covenant community is created and established, by focusing on several books of the Bible. It discusses the story of our origins in Genesis, the Exodus narrative, the teachings of Moses, the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, as well as other books from each Testament that focus on the foundation of Christian faith. In doing so, it lays out the framework for a life lived in concert with God and others. Living: Living within the covenant translates into action--into how we behave in our everyday lives. That's why the second module, Living the Covenant, focuses on how the community lives out the covenant in faithful love--how it is applied to actual relationships in daily life. The scripture readings included in these episodes examine the practical challenges of faithful covenant life. Participants explore leadership challenges among tribal chieftains, kings and prophets, and spiritual and political crises. They look for practical wisdom and guidance in the teachings of Israel's sages, the letters of Paul, and more. By demonstrating how people of vastly different cultures came together in a common purpose, the study shows how faithful love is the root of the covenant life. Trusting: Life often presents significant challenges. Difficulties are inevitable. That's why the final module, Trusting the Covenant, looks at the crises that sometimes call covenant life into question, and how we are restored to trust in God when troubling things happen. It how hope is restored by faithfulness in the midst of suffering. From the story of Job, to the Hebrew exile, to the apocalyptic visions in Daniel and Revelation, we learn how God's faithful love is at work in everything--to restore hope, freedom, and wholeness to our lives.

An excellent resource for adult study groups, social justice committees, and individuals who care deeply about the biblical call to do justice in the public arena. Includes meditations, discussion questions, and tips for action responses.